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Glory of the Kushans: Recent Discoveries and Interpretations

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Advent of Kushans in the Indian subcontinent is a significant historical event. It is suggestive of such processes and factors which shaped early historic cultural milieu of India in particular and Asia in general. The Kushan kings played an important part in the ancient history of India and Central Asia, worthy contemporaries of the three great world powers of the early centuries of the first millennium AD, the Roman Empire, the Han Empire of China and the Arsacid and Sasanian Empires of Iran. During the first four centuries of the millennium, they controlled a vital space between these empires, acting the role of entrepreneurs in international trade and restoring unified rule to northern India. Their patronage of Buddhism enabled it to spread through Central Asia into China. However, in spite of their importance, very little information of their activities has survived into the modern period. This volume is an outcome of the International Seminar entitled, ‘Kushan Glory and Its Contemporary Challenges’, which was organized by the Bharat Kala Bhavan, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (India), between October 3 and 5, 2008. Most of the papers were presented in the seminar but there are a few which were invited. Inclusion of these were intended to fill the gaps, in the otherwise holistic format of this volume. The 21 contributions of the volume are placed in seven distinct sections covering different themes, viz., (i) Discoveries: Old and Recent; (ii) Hegemony: Kushan Empire and Out-posts; (iii) Chronology and Succession; (iv) Policies and Patronage: Kushan Religion; (v) Architecture and Settlement: Kushan Archaeology; (vi) Art Expressions: Kushan Portraits and Compositions; (vii) Expansion and Continuity: Kushan Styles and Techniques. This strikingly illustrated volume is a significant contribution to the field of Kushan studies and is valuable for students and scholars of history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vidula Jayaswal

Grand daughter of (Late) Dr. K.P. Jayaswal, Dr. Vidula Jayaswal is presently teaching and guiding research in Ancient Indian History in general and Archaeology in particular at the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Dr. Jayaswal was selected by the Government of India under the National Scholarship Scheme to study abroad and received specialized training in Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, U.S.A. She also served the Archaeological Survey of India. Author of eight books, five in English â€“ Palaeohistory of India, Chopper-Chopping Component of Palaeolithic India, Kushana Clay Art, An Ethno Archaeological View of Indian Terracottas and Paisra: The Stone Settlement of Bhiar (last two in co-authorship) and three text books in Hindi-Bharatiya Itihas ke Adi Charan Ki Roop Rekha (Pura Prastar Yuga), Bharatiya Itihas Ka Madhya Prastar Yuga , and Bharatiya Itihas Ka Nav Prastar Yuga. She has also edited a proceeding of workshop which is published as Ancient Ceramics. Dr. Jayaswal has to her credit more than fifty research papers, which have been published in the proceedings of International Symposia and various publications of repute. Her noteworthy field investigations are excavations of prehistoric sites at Lahariandih in Mirzapur and Paisra in Munger districts and excavation of historical settlement at Bhitari, and, surveys of pottery and terracotta producing centres of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Her recent discovery of the Ancient Quarries of Asokan times and subsequent periods, near Chunar is a significant contribution to both Archaeology and History of Arts.